A known torque fluctuation absorbing apparatus for absorbing a torsional vibration of a power transmission system is disclosed, for example, in JP2003-65392A (hereinafter referred to as Patent reference 1).
Patent reference 1 discloses a dynamic damper (torque fluctuation absorbing apparatus) which is mounted to a drive shaft (power transmission system) of a compressor and includes a pulley (plate member) having six equally spaced recessed portions in a circumferential direction and six rollers (mass members) housed in the recessed portions, respectively. Each of the recessed portions of the dynamic damper is formed in a substantially semicircular configuration. The dynamic damper disclosed in Patent reference 1 is configured to absorb the torsional vibration of the drive shaft by rolling the rollers in a pendular manner along an arc shaped rolling guide surface formed by an inner surface of the substantially semicircular recessed portion.
According to the dynamic damper (torque fluctuation absorbing apparatus) disclosed in Patent reference 1, in a case where the torsional vibration of the drive shaft (power transmission system) is assumed to be equal to or greater than a predetermined level, a rolling range of the roller (mass member) rolling along the arc shaped roller guide surface is assumed to be greater, which causes a drawback that the roller impacts with, or collides with an end portion of the arc shaped roller guide surface. Thus, according to the dynamic damper disclosed in Patent reference 1, noise is generated because of the roller impacting with the end portion of the roller guide surface when the torsional vibration of the drive shaft is assumed to be equal to or greater than the predetermined level.
A need thus exists for a torque fluctuation absorbing apparatus which is not susceptible to the drawback mentioned above.